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The Mycelium Principle for Note-Taking
Why your Zettelkasten works like a fungal network
Mushrooms are among the most fascinating organisms on Earth.
Many people mistakenly believe that mushrooms are plants. However, they rule their own kingdom, that of the fungi.
Mushrooms are also much more than just the fruiting body that prominently pops up from the ground: The majority of their biomass is made up of what is called mycelium. By this, we mean the dense, filamentous structure that runs through the earth or other organic structures.
These filaments form a vast and complex network that, interestingly, has parallels to the network of a “Zettelkasten” (a card index system).
If you’re not familiar with the term ‘Zettelkasten,’ imagine a system for storing ideas, quotes, or insights on index cards. But instead of keeping these cards isolated in a drawer, you look for connections to already existing cards in your system. Over time, you build a dense network of thoughts and information. This works even better digitally than analogously!
What your Zettelkasten has in common with the mycelium of mushrooms
Like the mycelium, which forms an extensive and complex network below the earth’s surface…
